Day 5 Jan 25 - National Prayer & Fasting - Beauty for Ashes

Love Australia
Jan 15, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Jan 24, 2024

… to provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendour. Isaiah 61:3

Devotion

Our God is a God of wonderful love – a transforming love, an everlasting love, a realistic love, a saving love, a costly love. This is why ashes are transformed to a crown of beauty, mourning is replaced by joy and a spirit of despair becomes a garment of praise.

When we lived in a smaller town, we were fostering new-born babies - from the birth in the local hospital to the time for adoption. Our own three children all helped during the three week or so. It was extremely rewarding time of giving for us all, especially when the adopting parents came to meet and claim their first, long awaited child.

But we were very busy packing up everything to move interstate and we had let the government agency know that we could no longer take any more babies. But the spokesperson for the agency was very insistent that we take on just one more little girl. She had sores all over her from a virus that she had caught in the hospital. My wife relented and began to treat the sores. At the end of the third week, who should come to our door but the mother of the little girl? The wonderful love of God had transformed her heart and the treatment at our home had meant the sores were all gone – beauty for ashes!

Worship

Prayer

Lord God, may we all today know more and more of your wonderful love, bringing transformation in all we do, say, and think. Use the Walk for Life Adelaide in a powerful way to do this. When faced with hard decisions let it be as with Jesus – not my will Father but thy will be done! May many mothers choose to give life to their yet to be born children and be willing to give them to others to raise or grant them grace to help push through the tough times and find courage to be a life giver. In Jesus name Amen.

Tom Radford

Baptist Pastor, Evangelicals for Life Sydney

Prayer Points

For the multitudes in the valley of decision to hear the truth and experience El Roi the God who sees their situation and chooses life for their unborn child.
It is crucial for Australians to stand united and shout out for the Babies Born Alive through failed abortion to be given life-saving treatment and care and not left to die. Pray for the Babies Born Alive Bill senate to now vote. Senator Matt Canavan, Senator Ralph Babet and Senator Alex Antic have co-signed a bill to give babies born alive from abortion a right to life. No More Delay! Let this become a loud election issue for this government. Hear first hand a midwifes grief and Born Alive after a failed abortion story.
Pray the Love Adelaide - Walk for Life 2024 on Feb 10th 10am-12pm will grow in momentum to double last year - that nothing will hinder the church standing against legalized abortion, to add their strength and support to end the abortion crisis in our nation and beyond. Pray for health for everyone especially the overseas guest speaker, doors of favour to open, more volunteers for the walk and the weather to be favourable.
We pray for every state and territory of Australia to recognise that every life is a gift from God - for the church to arise in the cause of defending life in the womb from the horror of abortion and come together to stand for life. For greater numbers to be in attendance at the “Walk for Life Adelaide” 10th Feb 2024 and “March for Life” Brisbane - date TBA, Mackay “March for the Babies” October, “March for the Babies” Melbourne, Love Sydney Walk for Life TBA, Perth’s rally for Life in May and for all Territories and States to join in and hold a Walk for Life in their city/region.
Even though every state in Australia has changed Legislation to allow abortion up to birth, we can all work together to change such legislation. It's all about numbers - Pray that we unify and work together to make abortion unthinkable in Australia. Pray for the number of awakened righteous politicians and leaders in every sphere of influence to increase and be empowered and emboldened to change the laws and influence this generation with the truth about abortion.
Ask for many more churches across the nation to be aware of the women in their midst who are suffering through having had an abortion. To have spiritual discernment to identify women with a crisis pregnancy who need the help, hope and love of Jesus to keep the baby or choose adoption into a loving home. That every church be a trusted place of mercy and compassion to be known and operating as Houses of Refuge for the unborn and families. For Hubs of Love to be established in every city and town in the nation.